New Rules- Dua Lipa Music Video Product Factsheet

NEW RULES – DUA LIPA Music Video (2017)
Product context
The music video ‘New Rules’ was released on 7 th July 2017. It was premiered through Lipa’s
YouTube account. The music video was directed by Henry Schofield.

Industry context
Dua Lipa’s estimated net worth is about $3 million. She has made most of it from her
singing. She has 34 awards from 80 nominations and has 2 Grammys from the 34 awards.

Consider the use of moving media language and codes and conventions:
There are wide shots of women continently in the music video, the wide shot shot of the
female bodys, showing a lot of their skin, and this creates the male gaze theory.

Consider how the different elements of media language, and the combination of
elements, influence meaning and communicate multiple meaning:
In the music video we can see pink flamingo. Flamingo symbolism calls for you to be vibrant
and outgoing, and to be well-balanced and resourceful in life. The meaning of flamingo
communicates to the audience that Dua Lipa and other females are like the flamingos that are
well-balanced and resourceful in life.
Another important element of media language is colour scheme. We can see it through Lipa’s
change of costumes. At first, when she is learning how to overcome break up, she is wearing
yellow dress. Yellow symbolises intellect, freshness, and joy, therefore suggesting how
happy and naïve she was while in a relationship. As the music video continues, and now one
of the other girls is trying to get over someone, Dua Lipa is wearing black bra combined with
silver miniskirt. This costume choice and colour scheme suggest that now she is not that
naïve, but she is aware of the reality, she is independent, strong women and she will help her
girl friend to get over her break up.

Consider how representations are constructed through processes of selection of
combination: 
Lipa’s representation changes during the video. Her dress code in the opening sequence
could be considered to be quite covered up as she is hearing a dress with a jacket on top.
However, as the music video proceeds she appears in a long shot wearing a bikini with her
friends. This makes appears to the male audience as it feeds into their fantasy. There is a
contrast in those scenes as at first she is covered, which suggests girl power; “my body, my
rules”. However, later on she appears in a bikini making this idea of girl power disappear as it
catches male attention.

Consider critical perspectives: 
David Gauntlett’s theory of identity- The music video could be considered to be an
expression of “Girl Power” as there is no male who can be seen and Lipa sings about not
letting “him in” because she knows that she will be waking up in his “bed”. Therefore, by
ignoring these “calls” and not letting “him in” she is reinforcing the idea that girls do not
need a man in their lives.

Narrative – Tzvetan Todorov
Todorov’s theory can be applied to this music video, because it follows three part narrative
structure.
The disruption to the equilibrium occurs when Dua has just broken up with ‘him’. The
narrative then builds to how she is going to deal with this situation. After that we can see
resolution – Dua Lipa getting over him and now helping the other girl who is at the disruption
stage – a break up.
At the end of the music video all women are dancing together while holding hands, that
represents the successful resolution of disruptions (break ups) that occurred.

Semiotics- Roland Barthes: 
The music video represents the idea of girls’ night out and how one of them is trying to forget
her boyfriend. The long shot in which she is seating in the sofa with her friends jumps to a
shot in the swimming pool with her singing “I got new rules”, perhaps these new rules are
that she is not going to “pick up the phone” and if she does she will not get over him.
Furthermore, when the music video goes back to when she wanted to pick up the phone there
is a new girl who is suffering from the same thing as she was before. The fact that they are
welcome her in the group it reinforces the idea of girl power. The music video reminds us of
scenes from Mean Girls.

Feminist theory-bell hooks
We can clearly establish feminism here, because in this music video, there is only women
taking part and appearing in the scenes. The song talks about getting over a man. The music
video shows a lot of females being single, that highlights the idea of females not needing a
male in her life that is supported by bell hooks/Judith Butler.
Social context
Female artists are constantly shown to be hypersexualised in music videos (this has become
the norm). In the music video the male gaze is shown through the fact that females are
showing a lot of skin (wearing less clothing) to attract straight male’s attention.

Audience: 
The music video is targeted at females around 16-24 years old who are current going to a breakup. This is because in the music video Dua Lipa sings about her ex and how if he does come back she knows that she will be definitely going back to him.